Charge 3 tracks too many steps

[painterfam]

I've been a fitbit user since the very first one and they've always been a clip on to my waist/hip area.  Now I have the Charge3 on my wrist (non-dominant).  Im seeing 5-7000 more steps a day.. Im assuming because of arm movements. . is there anyway to adjust this?  its thorwing off my food logging and calorie intake suggestions. .   I know I'll get used to it . .but for now its driving me crazy.. although impressive to hit near 18000 steps every day!

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[PurpleHR]

Mine now has good tracking days and bad tracking days. In addition to thousands of phantom steps, it now logs fantom flights. Basically just using it for my heart rate and mile markers at this point. So disappointing. Every iteration of the charge has had issues and the previous 2 did not even last more than 1.5 years each. I expect I'll be getting an Apple Watch in a year. 

[GraceGFitbit]

Hi @daisygirlfp, it's nice to see you here. I would like to confirm that you have checked what I posted above?

It's important to specify whether you wear the device on your dominant or non-dominant wrist. If after taking those factors into account you still think your tracker is significantly overcounting steps, please try a step test:

1. Restart your tracker.
2. Walk 100 steps, making sure to count a step each time one of your feet hits the ground. Pause, then check your tracker to see your step count.

Thanks for sharing your experience with us @PurpleHR, I created a case on your behalf with our Support Team for further assistance with this. 

If you have any further questions, please let me know. Have a nice weekend!😺

[Queenbess1]

I could not have said it better myself.

[azwxguy]

I have noticed an "enhanced" step count myself, compared to the totals my Charge 2 used to produce. I get about 2000 steps for a 140 mile commute by car every day. It's probably not much of an issue really, considering I've read about people putting their Fitbits on a fan or hooking it onto their dog's collar to try and spoof some extra steps. What I would suggest is to take your Fitbit off every day for a couple of hours, which is good for that spot on your wrist where it sits all the time anyway.

[DLaw5150]

I had used the Blaze for a couple of years.  I had points built up in my Health Plan gym membership.  (BCBSIL - Well on Target). I thought it would be nice to use the points to upgrade my tracker rather than fork out $$ to do it.  I spent 28K+ of my point on the Charge 3.  

My daily steps immediately when up by about 5K - to 13K on a normal day from avg 8K.  I knew something was up. I also noticed that I had was getting steps while sitting at my desk working.

But I also had issues with it staying connected to my phone (Galaxy 8+) through bluetooth.  I opened a ticket and worked through reinstalling it with support.  The issue persisted and was sent another device (refurbished I assume) from Fitbit.  When I received it, I tried to connect to it.  It would not complete the update during the initial setup even leaving it and my phone side-by-side for 3 hrs.  I just put it away as I was frustrated and went back to my Blaze.  That was about 3-4 months ago.  

Now to this week.  I have updated both units to the latest firmware.  The original unit still had the issue of losing connectivity.  The refurb unit completed the update this time.  Steps are pretty accurate  98-103 for 100 steps) and it stays connected.  But it still counts steps with me sitting or moving my arm.

I have tried all the suggestions I've read in the forums (both arms with both dominant/non-dominant settings, reinstalling the app, height settings, rebooting the unit after each change).  I still have ghost steps occurring just typing this post.  Keeping track of my steps is the main reason I wear a tracker to begin with.  The numbers look great ... but they're not true.

I believe this model let R&D to quick.  At this point, I am writing it off as a loss... wish I could get those points back.  Get my kids a ukulele or something else they might enjoy.

It's back to the old Blaze.  Hope it continues to hold out, been wearing it for quite some time and has taken a beating.

Disappointed,

David 

[Gina1980]

The Charge 3 is the first FitBit item I have ever used. I have an S10 and used the fitness tracker on that and would log about 2700 steps at work. With the Charge 3, I have 7,000 steps in. I logged 300 steps this morning just by putting on my skin care items and brushing my hair. This all seems grossly inaccurate. I changed my stride to be longer, I have it on my dominant arm on the dominant setting. I don't get it. 

[AngelaMoody04]

My Inspire HR has been glitching out a lot recently. As of this morning, while I was laying in bed drinking coffee, it said I got over 8,000 steps, between 9:30-9:45; it was 9:15am. Granted it is DST now, but it's happened at least 5 times in just over a month, the extra steps, not time discrepancy. It has only happened if I didn't wear it all night and put it on after 12 hours and all of a sudden I got 20,000 steps when I wasn't even wearing it! So today was the first time that it happened while wearing all night. There is no way to edit steps anymore like I used to 5 years ago. It makes me want to just not wear it at all anymore because it throws off my results and I lose motivation. 

[Ave8ter]

I had been using my phone to count steps but needed to track my pulse ox so got the Charge3.  I initially noticed a problem when I tied my shoes and got credit for 65 steps. Then sitting on the toilet got me 82 steps.

I changed settings to Dominant while wearing non-dominant and reset the device twice.  It has gotten better but I am still showing about 20% higher During the day than my phone when I compare.  

I am somewhat disappointed at this point.

[azwxguy]

My Charge 3 developed the dreaded white streaks at the 11th month point of my warranty and was replaced. This new Charge 3 does much better with my step count. Some things you might try, including a warranty replacement of your unit, is to take some GPS connected walks which will calibrate your stride. I also regularly took the unit off for a couple hours every day to even out my count. This is also good for the spot on your arm where the tracker sits. Most people would really appreciate an "enhanced" step count, but I always felt it was cheating. That, and I really wanted the most accurate figures I could get. Good luck!

[Effect]

Yes, I did. It didn't work. Sometimes, mine seemed to add the steps when I took it off the charger, and before I even put it on.  Sometimes it was just random.

[Jun_Jose]

This did not help fitbit versa2 still counting steps while sitting and doing computer work.

[surfbeach]

This might be a little out of left field, but if you use Strava, and have linked your Strava 'walk' with your Fitbit, and you did 5-7000 on a Strava walk, it will add to your Fitbit steps for the day, not recognising it's doubling up.

I'm a mountain bike rider and I use Strava for my rides, but if per chance I have left my Strava in walk mode, the 30 k I did on my ride gets added to my steps. Generally, I'll change it back to cycle mode, but if I don't, you can imagine the number of steps I get up to.

I can link Strava/Fitbit activities by using Fitbit in satellite mode, but it greatly reduces the battery life, so don't bother.